Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride : A Memoir of Men and Motorcycles

by Gary Paulsen

At the age of fifty-seven, looking over this shoulder at heart disease, Gary Paulsen acquired his first Harley-Davidson, and began a journey of a lifetime. From New Mexico to Alaska, through Minnesota and the Rockies, Paulsen also travels through the landmarks of his life. There was the tough cop who kept him from becoming a juvenile delinquent and the whore who told him not to leave the army; high-stakes poker games and wrangling dogsleds through the Alaskan wilderness. Funny, moving and full of adventure, "Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride", reads like the best kind of travel writing, celebrating not the destination, but the ride.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Biography, Motorcycle

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good. I love a good motorcycle adventure. I was hoping for some more insights of what makes men/women ride. I know everyone’s story is different. I guess I just wanted a poetic tale of what makes a biker tick. Why does strapping a death machine between your legs make you feel so free. Personal questions I ask myself every time I get on my Harley. In a odd way it does… the last line in the book says, “the run would never end”. I guess that’s true. The search of what you’re looking for is/will always be out of arms reach. That’s what keeps you getting back on the bike. The search for something that’s never obtainable but experienced.

[JDK1962 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed.

Paulsen's not a bad writer. He does a passable Hemingway imitation, but then again, there's lots of Hemingway out there, and he did it better, so why bother?

I think I have two main objection to this book, and both deal with motorcycling. And I say this as someone with several tens of thousands of miles on motorcycles myself.

-- For a book ostensibly about "the motorcycle journey of a lifetime," he spends amazingly little time on the motorcycle journey. The book should have been called "A Harley Runs Through It." Which leads to my second objection.
-- If you are a motorcyclist who has never bought into the Harley mythology, you're going to find many of the motorcycling bits of this book incredibly tedious, like a Christian trying to convey what Jesus means to them. If you're a Harley person, you're probably smiling and nodding at his descriptions, and if you think the Harley sound is the equivalent of mechanical flatulence, you're just wishing that he'd written a different/better book.

Not a keeper.

[Eric Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as well written as Winterdance, but entertaining. As a motorcyclist, I wanted more about the ride and less about the memories, but as a reader, I was entertained!!

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

He rode to Alaska on a Har_ D_on. A good idea coupled with a dumb idea. It's generally not a bad read. I love a good ride tale. He even offers some interesting insights to the human condition observed in Japan (etas-invisible work & the people that toil in it; those that look down on them). Contrast that with usual cliche Yank biases and narrow world-view that muddies the narrative elsewhere (Mexicans; Indians etc).

He tells us about some of his earlier machines: 150 Honda; CB77 Super Hawk and others (interesting). But American guys just can't get past the insecure need to get a HarDon (boring!). I have been to Alaska twice so I get the fascination with the place.

I am left with the following feeling about the author: Americans seem to think they should be able to take credit (personally) for the collective ingenuity produced by their nation-a nation of individualists that won't acknowledge the value and place of common good-but take credit for its legacy. Oh Well.

[Cayden Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book Zero to Sixty: The motorcycle Journey of a Lifetime by Gary Paulsen it starts off as Gary at his job and he is always late because he has to walk everywhere he goes because he has no vehicle. His boss realizes this and gives him a old motor bike for him to have. Gary immediately loves the bike and saves up all his money to buy his first motorcycle. All is good until Gary figures out that he has heart disease. He knows he doesn't have a lot of time left so he is going to make the most of it. He plans on taking his new Harley that he bought and traveling from New Mexico to Alaska. This book is about his journey and all that happens when he travels.

I liked this book because it was very interesting reading about how he goes from New Mexico to Alaska on a motorcycle. I gave it three stars because at some points in the book it was boring because he would talk for a long time. But overall the book was good.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

(note to elementary school librarians - don't put this next to the tucker novels.)

"There is something very liberating about heart disease. You get a solid, rich copper smell of your own mortality and it's impossible to keep it from affecting how you live. Life goes on around you, people have all the things happening to them that they think are vitally important-car payments, careers, lawyers, awards, families- and you KNOW, in your heart, that it's all bullshit. Heart disease gives you that freedom." pp100,101


"Hitting hail on a motorcycle doing seventy or eighty miles an hour is something very close to kissing a shotgun." p125

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read Winterdance first you will likely be disappointed in this book. If you are really interested in reading about a motorcycle trip, you may also be disappointed. This book combines childhood memories with references to running the Iditarod while also telling about riding a Harley from New Mexico up through Alaska. As other reviewers have stated, it is NOT a book for children.

I read Winterdance first, so I was somewhat disappointed when I read this memoir. But being a fan of the genre, I thought it was ok. It was not nearly as entertaining as Winterdance and lacked the heart of that book as well.

If you are a fan of Paulsen, you will likely enjoy this to some degree.

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Don't let the title of this book fool you. You don't need to be male or have a love of motorcycles to enjoy this book. Paulsen describes his motorcycle journey through Minnesota and the Rockies to the Alaskan Highway, recalling the events in his life that have made him the man he is today. There is nothing earth-shattering at the end of this book, it's merely about the journey to get there.
I've been a fan of Paulsen's for years, and if you haven't read his writing before you may wish to start with Winterdance which is simply outstanding; Paulsen at his very best.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love just about and anything Gary Paulsen writes - especially his dog/puppy stories so this is a surprising departure. In his "retirement" and diagnosis of heart disease he fulfills a dream and buys a Harley- Davidson motorcycle. THEN he drives it from New Mexico to Alaska. It's great fun to be "along for the ride with him". He is just a warm hearted interesting kinda guy and it's good to be in his company - whether it's with the dogs or on a motorcycle.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve never ridden a motorcycle and have no desire to, but I love a good road trip. Gary Paulsen, nearing 60, decides to buy a Harley, then decides to take it on a trip. A long trip - New Mexico to Minnesota to Montana, then north to Alaska, and finally back home. All that time out on the open road made him think back on his life. This book is as much about his recollections as it is about the road trip itself.

[Jeri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering that I thought this would only appeal to men, I was captivated by this book. Reminds me a bit of Travels with Charley by Steinbeck. Interesting what he learned about himself from this adventure.

[Loree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary Paulson is the savior of reluctant readers in my classroom. I love that man, and I love his sparse poetic style, especially in the hatchet series. This book was good, but it's not his best. I'll be careful about recommending it to students without parent approval.

[Pat Forrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Gary Paulsen book for adults. He relates the story of his trip on a motorcycle through Canada and the Alaska Highway to Fairbanks but also filled with lots of stories about other times in his life and comments about life and living. Not for kids.

[Betsy Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Paulsen's book when my husband and I were still riding. After putting over 40,000 miles on my butt riding behind my husband, we hung up the keys. Now, when Paulsen died in the middle of October, I revisited this meditation on motorcycles. Yes, women love to ride, too.

Paulsen's meditation is truly an homage to those of us who love(d) to ride. He imbues his stories about his trip to Alaska from New Mexico with humor, often laugh-out-loud. Like story when his bike decided he shouldn't try to ride through deep mud in a driving rainstorm. The Harley kept dumping him back in the mud, no matter what he tried. "...the monster...completely defies control of any kind and is seemingly devoted to one thing and one thing only--to get over on its side and stick your ass and face in the mud as fast as it can and as hard as it can." If you ride, you get it. Even if you don't, you can appreciate what he and his friend Larry experience in getting to Alaska.

When Paulsen's obituary appeared, I learned he was better known as a children's writer. Not to me. I loved his meditations of running the Iditarod, riding motorcycles, on life. I'll probably reread Winterdance again soon.

[Eden · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 bk 160. As a long time reader of all things Paulsen (his work aimed at middle schoolers is genius) I somehow missed this book. I picked it up at the local library and while generally not in the mood for road buddy books, I had to read this one. Well done - a look at a long Harley bike ride with a friend from their homes in NM to Alaska and back. The story is mostly following the route north and then they mysteriously get back. It is not so much a description of what they see and encounter, as it is a memoir of the places Paulsen lived as he was growing up in the upper mid-west/west. There are some significant encounters and tales with his buddy, Larry. Enjoyable. Not my favorite of Paulsen's books, but not the one I like the least.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy read. Related to some of his feelings about daydreaming of the past while riding on back of a motorcycle. Definitely a book written for men, but enjoyed it. Made me want to go to Alaska someday.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the author of Hatchet, but definitely not a YA book. Not a great memoir, but it does have its moments. Would recommend mainly to middle age men doing some soul searching.

[P M E]

Kindled my love of long distance motorcycling.

[Arusticat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gary Paulsen suggests a Harley Davidson if you want to ride the Alaskan Highway.

[Kati Did · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bit of a rambling old man

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and easy read. I enjoyed both the stories and the style of writing.

[Jonathan Haviley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sort of has a theme but sort of goes off on random side quests. Anyway one of my favorite authors having a sort of autobiography to some extent.

[Jake Wermske · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an intriguing book full of detail. It vividly describes of a journey from New Mexico to Alaska, and the experiences that comes. It does use strong, vulgar language but the author utilizes it to his abilities, somehow making every sentence interesting. It just reels you in and in; you just can't get out. He does make some mistakes where he could add more description and not have too many run-on sentences. But he does a great job of adding detail where it is needed and describing something so perfectly I could picture it in my head.

[Alice · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very slight book, merely scratching the surface of Paulsen's ride up the Alaska Highway and offering a tantalising glimpse of his thoughts and feelings. After the blood, sweat and tears of Winterdance, I know he's capable of much more depth than this. (And a Harley? Please. Get a real bike!)

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My notes and quotes:

I hate birthdays – always have – as they measure the time of life, the ticking down of the clock of life and take into account nothing of the quality of that life; a kind of shallow measurement of the time to approaching death which cannot be stopped. (p. 2).

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being diagnosed with heart disease, the author decides to take a road trip. Fulfilling a dream he has always had - to buy a Harley. He reflects on things he did in his youth and life in general, includes laugh out loud stories and tearful stories as well.

[Jrobertus · Rating 3 out of 5]

a memoir of an intelligent and well traveled man. he reflects, at 57, on his life, dreams and goals. i have read several of his other books and admire his style.

[Avis Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of his better books, but still readable for the good parts. Paulsen has written a whole string of excellent nonfiction books.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not your 'typical Paulsen' book for middle school boys! A great memoir,written toward adult taste and experiences. I hate to admit it, but some of the language made me blush.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't make me laugh like "Winterdance", but it was still a decent read. Introspective, but neither deep enough nor glib enough to make it truly memorable.